Vehicle



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. /exafaz br/fo y ATTORNEYly/ A. CARLSONVEHICLE Filed June 29, 1958 July 16, 1940.

A. CARLSON VEHICLE Filed June 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n my gf .my

" ATTORNEY@ July 16, 1940.

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Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES VEHICLE Alexander Carlson, Detroit,Mich., assignor to The Bender Body Company, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application June 29, 1938, Serial No. 216,430

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a convertible vehicle body adaptedspecifically to be used either as a hearse or as an ambulance, when usedasa hearse to be adapted for loading either at the side or at the rearand including features particularly4 facilitating the handling of acasket when loading or unloading at either position; when used as anambulance to increase the head room over that available when used as ahearse. With respect to loading and unloading, one object is to furnishoverhangs which can be brought out beyond the end or side of the carbody, and beyond any bumpers, running boards, or the like, so that thecasket, or other weight to be moved into or out of the car requires onlyvertical movement after it comes off the overhand; that is, the handlersdo not have to swing it out over a bumper or over a running board.

Another object is to avoid having any sliding movement in any directionwhich is not upon rolling supports; thus no cylindrical rollers are usedi-n positions where the movement over them will have any axialcomponent.

Although shown and described particularly in its adaptation to thespecific purposes indicated, such disclosure is intended to be by way ofexample and not by way of limitation. The invention is adaptable toother purposes, particularly in connection with handling heavy objectsinto or out of a vehicle.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a floor plan of a hearse, showing my improvements appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical central section on a larger scale, taken onthe plane 2 2 of Fig. l;

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged vertical sections each withcertain features in elevation, taken on the planes 3 3, 4 4, 5 5, 6 6, 11 and 8 8 respectively of Fig. 1. Of these Fig. 3 shows a rear platformroller and edge detail, Fig. 4 shows a sliding fastener for the rearplatform, Fig. 5 shows a roller detail and a side bracket rod detail ofthe front platform, Fig. 6 shows a platform fastening dowel, Fig."7 is avertical longitudinal section through a bearing bar, and Fig. 8 is atransverse section through the side bracket and through la bearing barthereon.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the vehicle body is of conventional type, withside doors I, I, rear door 2, the usual side lockers 3, and drivers seat4. To use it as a hearse a false floor composed of two platforms isinserted on the permanent iioor; the false floor is removed when it isto be used as an ambulance. The permanent floor 5 is flat except for aslightly elevated cross piece 6 immediately behind the drivers seat,which preferably comes to a height equal to that of the insertedplatforms and is used as a spacer and fastening connection for theforward platform.

Throughout the description such terms as front, rear, right, left and soon are used with respect to the vehicle body.

When the vehicle is used as a hearse, a transverse front platform I anda'longitudinal rear platform II are run in on the floor in anyconvenient way, as by rollers I5 and I6, and are fastened together andto the cross piece 6 by suitable means such as dowels I8. The frontplatform IIJ is put in and taken out through a side door, and the backplatform Il through the rear door. The front platform is provided withmeans for holding down the front against uptilting tendencies, thespecific mechanism shown being the bottom-headed stud 20, Figs. l and 4,riding in a guideway 2| into which it is inserted and from which it isremoved through an opening 22. 'Ihe platform Ii is additionallypositioned and held against undesired movement by a clamp or clamps 25,overhanging fingers swingably attached to the floor 5, and movable upand down, or other suitable means.

Both platforms are provided with the usual longitudinal and transverseretaining plates 21, 21 and 28, 28 apertured at intervals for thereception of bier pins 29 or 30. The platforms also carry a series ofanti-friction casket supports of such a nature and so grouped as best tofacilitate the insertion or removal of a casket 'at either side or backof the vehicle, and in particular to furnish complete rolling supportfor every direction of movement of the casket. The rearmost of theserollers, 32, 32 and 33, 33, may be the standard cylindrical hearseroller, disposed transversely to the vehicle. The movement of the casketnever has a sideward component so long asv any part of its Weight issupported on these rollers, for which reason conventional rollers aresatisfactory in the positions indicated.

The other anti-friction bearings, hereafter called ball bars, aredesignated by reference characters 35 to 39 inclusive and are preferablyall alike, consisting of an inverted channel 43, rounded at sides andends, and with floor-engaging anges 4I, having a plurality of topapertures therein through each of which a large ball 4,24 projects. Eachtop aperture is slightly flanged as at 43 to less than the diameter of42. Each ball 42 is supported from below by a series of small balls 44in a race in the upper end of a screw plug 45.

As seen in Fig. 1, the preferred arrangement' of ball bars on theplatforms is that the bars` 35, 35 are transverse to the vehicle andsomewhat forward of the middle of the platform Il bars 33, 35 arediagonally arranged across the forward corners of the platform Il,converging towards the front; bars 31, 31, about the middle of the frontplatform it are approximately parallel to 36, 33. Bars 38, 38 are setalong each side' edge of the platform l0, while bars 39, 39arefonmovable brackets 49 which can be brought either close up againstthe side edges of platform 0, YasV shown on the right side, or moved outtherefromfon stout rodsl to a position several inches beyond the vehicleside, as shown on the left side. In addition to the various rollerdevices on the platforms lil and l l, the usual vertical rollers 53sarev applied to the inner corners of the'lockers It is much easier tohandle a heavy load if no swinging movement is required while it isbeing lifted or lowered. To avoid the need for any such swingingmovement in side loading or unloading, either bracket 431 can be pulledout to give a firm support extended beyond the vehicle.

A limited rearward movement of the platforml portion Il tothe dottedline positions shown in Figs. l. and 2 gives the same' facilityY forrear loading. Y

This side extension of brackets 49 is provided for cy mechanicalarrangements which are connect'ed with the framing of the front platformlil: and are shown principally in dotted lines in Fig. l and in certaindetails in Fig. 5.

The platform ld has a heavy front beam 55 and rear beam 55, directsupports of the upper floor boards 51'. Stout bracket clamps 58, 59,

re strongly fastened to the inner edges of these side beams. Theseclampshold heavy tubes Sil through which the rods 5D slide with a fairlyAclose fit'. The tubes, as shown in Fig. l, extend to but not beyond theedges of the platform ID, and'thus, while affording substantial lateralsupport for the rods 5G, permit the brackets 49 to be moved inwardagainst the edges of lll, thus giving space for closing of the sidedoors l'. When either side door is to be opened, thev correspondingbracket 49- is pulled out to the limit of its travel, which isseveral'inches beyond the edge of the vehicle body, as shown at the lefthand door of'Fig. 1. Suitable stops (not shown) limit the outer travelof rods 5D, and if desired, spring detents or similar arrangements maybe used to hold the rods in either their extended or inner positions,although these are not usually necessary and are not shown in thedrawing. Inasmuch as the rods 5D, 5l need to be longer than half thewidth of the platform I0, the beams 55and 56 are oppositely odset byshoulders 55A and.' 56A, so that when both sets of rods are'pushed inthey pass one another.

In order to furnish a corresponding extension for rear loadingV orunloading, the platform secf tion Il can be moved back on its rollersI6, its

also prevents upward tilting of the platform Il when the weight of thecasket is on the extended rear end.

The platform l l, in its preferred form, is built with substantialstringers along each side, and made up of steel channels backed bywooden pieces 1| to which the licor boards 12 are fastened. Anornamental beading 13,- which can also hold down the edges of a carpet14, is fastened to a filler 15.

' The rear portion of the platform ll comprises an apron 8D, notdirectly fastened to the channels 13, hinged at its forward edge to theplatform flooring and capable of being swung up and forward, thusleaving the channels 1B protruding rearward with a clear space betweenthem. Beneath the permanent flooring 5 of the position of the foldedchurch truck, it is an awkward object which is generally put in thehearse alongsidethe casket and impairs the dignified appearance of theloaded hearse.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows. If a casket is to beloaded from the rear, the rear door 2 is opened, the platform H is runto its full rearward extension and fastened by the friction clamp toprevent forward movement. Since the platform nowextends beyond thebumper 35, the pall bearers have only a straight lift to get the casketonto the -platfom l l and do not have to swing it forward over thebumper asv would otherwise be the case. The front end of the casketbeing deposited on the rollers 33, it is now pushed forward in astraight movement over the rollers 33, 32, and the ball bars 3F, 33 and31 to its proper position and there held by the bier pins which areplaced in the retaining plates 21, 28 according to the size of thecasket. Soon after the forward movement of the casket is started,thevclamp 25 may be loosened, allowing the platform l!v to move forwardon its own rollers l5, travelling to its forward position with thecasket, and is there engaged with the front platform by the dowels i8.To prevent further movement the clamp 25 is fastened.

On arriving at the destination the rear door is opened, the clamp Z5loosened, and the platform'l I is either pulled out to its rearmostextension immediately, or is allowed to ride out with the casket, untilstopped by the pin 2li in slot 2. As in loading, the rearward extensionof the platform beyond the bumper 65 permits the pall bearers to lowerthe casket directly from the platform instead of having also to move itlongitudinally to clearthe rear of the hearse and the bumper.

In rear loading and unloading the roller bars 35,l 36, 31 do not offeran advantage over straight rollers such as 32 and 33, because there isno` The appropriate side door being opened, the bar i9 is pulled out tothe full extent of the rods 5U and the casket is directlylifted andrputupon the ball bars 45, without having to be lifted inward over any partof the vehicle body. 'When on these ball bars it is pushed in at anangle and vrides upon the ball bars 33, 31 and 3B successively,`

being given both a longitudinal andl a yturning movement. Inasmuch as itis everywhere sup-` ported entirely on a series of ballsthere is noresistance to movement in any direction. The rollers 52 simply aid inguiding and preventing injury to the interior finish of the hearse. Asthe casket is moved further in it obviouslyclears the outer roller bars43 and its entering end rides upon the ball bars 35. By this time it isnearing a position of direct axial alignment with `the hearse body, andis completely so aligned before its entering end contactsthe rollers 32.As usual it is fastened by bier pins. The extension bar 49 is now pushedto its inner position, the doors closed and the hearse is ready formovement. On arriving at the destination, the reverse operation takesplace.

It will be observed that unless the casket is of extraordinary length,it does not overlap the apron 8D. Thus the church truck can be taken outand set up before the casket is removed. It is not necessary to open therear door fully to `get the church truck in and out, and thus the churchtruck is always available even if the hearse is alongside a crowdedcurve or in some similar situationk where rear loading of the casket isimpossible.

For use of the vehicle as an ambulance, both platforms are simply takenout, Il through the rear door and l0 through the side door, and theavailable height within the vehicle is now increased by the amount ofnearly a foot, to the extent of the total platform thickness from thetop of the anti-friction devices to the bottom of the hearse, but thisof course lessens the head room available.

With my improved invention the hearse is equally available for use as aside loader or as a rear loader, the question of extension anti-frictiondevices for the casket beyond the limits of the vehicle is taken careof, the turning movethe limits of the body sides or It has previouslybeen proments necessary to side loading are taken entirely upon ballsinstead of upon cylindrical rollers, thus avoiding the binding effect ofsideward movements upon cylindrical rollers, and the disposal of churchtrucks and similar objects out of sight but immediately accessible is`accom plished Although the expected and most apparent use of my deviceis for a hearse, it is obviousfthat the principles of the invention` areequally applicable to other vehicles into and'out of which large heavyobjects must be handled. It is also apparent that certain of thefeatures, particularly the extension arrangements, are availableseparately either for an exclusively rear loading vehicle or for anexclusively side loading vehicle.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of thev one explained, change being made as regards themechanismherein disclosed, provided the means statedv `by any of "thefollowing claims or the v equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

said floor being composed of two separable parts arranged in T formationwith the head of the Tinsertable through either Vof said side doors andthev stem of the T insertable'through the end door `of the body,`revoluble weight supporting means on the upper surface of saidremovable floor, extension devices including revoluble weight supportingrollers carried by the outer ends of the part forminglthe head of the T,and mecha-` nism for supporting said extensions either within projectingtherebeyond. l l, 2. In a funeral car body, forward side doors andan enddoor therefor, a two-piece platformy insertable onto the permanent oorthereof, saidA platform comprising a T-shaped separable assembly ofwhich the head of the T is movable transverselyonly of the `car body andthe stem of the T isV movable llongitudinally only thereof,

the stem of the`T comprising a platform having` side rails extending itsfull length, a pivoted apron hinged at the outer end' thereof which canbe either closed upon the side rails or opened exposing a space betweenthe side rails and beneath said apron.

3. fA removable oor for a funeral vehicle body comprising, incombination, two sections ar.l

ported within the vehicle bysaid section.

ALEXANDER Chanson.l

